Sierra Leone flag

Sierra Leone

History

Portuguese navigator Pedro de Sintra named the peninsula Serra Lyoa.
Freetown was founded as a settlement for freed slaves.
The colony became a British base for suppressing the Atlantic slave trade.
Independence came on 27 April.
Civil war, funded partly by diamonds, ended with disarmament.
Africa thumbnailPart ofAfricaMore countries, cities and routes.
CapitalFreetown
Population9.1M
Area72k km2
CurrencyLeone

Short facts

RegionWest Africa
LanguageEnglish
Time zoneGMT (UTC+0)
Drives onRight

Worth seeing

  • Tiwai Island: A river island sanctuary with one of the highest primate densities in the world.
  • Bunce Island: A ruined slave-trading fort on the Sierra Leone River.
  • Freetown Peninsula: Beaches such as River No. 2 below forested hills.

Find a city in Sierra Leone

Showing all cities

Freetown thumbnailFreetownCity

Planning questions

What is Sierra Leone known for?Tiwai Island, Bunce Island, Freetown Peninsula.
What is the capital?Freetown.
Which language is useful?English.
When is the national day?27 April.
How should I browse it here?Start with the facts, jump to linked cities, then check events and topics.

Upcoming events

Use Freetown as the first planning anchor for Sierra Leone, then compare the city, food and worth-seeing notes on this page.

Food & drink

Street food thumbnailStreet foodSignature dishCoffee thumbnailCoffeeLocal drink

Known for

Tiwai IslandBunce IslandFreetown PeninsulaFreetownStreet foodCoffee
Eurovision Song Contest thumbnailMusic & CultureFestivals, concerts and cultural calendars.Africa thumbnailAfrican outdoorsParks, coasts, desert routes and seasonal nature calendars.